Shekarau Urges Creation Of More States

Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano, has thrown his weight behind the creation of additional states in the country.

He, however, said that the states should be self-sustaining.

Speaking in an interview with correspondents in New Jersey, U.S., Shekarau said that although creating more states and local governments would make governance closer to the people, the states should be viable.

“As far as I am concerned, there is nothing wrong in state creation or local government creation. The purpose is to bring government closer to the people as the argument is, all the time.

“On the other side, you need to look at the viability of the government. People only see the state and local governments; it goes along with over-head cost.

“If you create a new state, you will be talking of new secretariat, new commissioners, and so on and so forth.

“Let’s look at the viability of the states. Sometimes, a good number of those agitating for states, want to become X, Y or Z and not for the progress of the state they are asking for,” he said.

He added: “a situation whereby you create a state and you totally depend on external sources for sustenance is not helpful to us. I am for state creation and for local governments’ creation.”

Shekarau said that he would want a situation like what was obtainable in the U.S., where power devolved to the states down the line.

“I look forward to the situation in the U.S. that is, devolving power down the line.

“The national INEC should have no business conducting the state elections. Let it be states’ affairs. Although people will ask questions about who set up the body. Is it not the same problem we are suffering upstairs,” he asked.

The governor said that the fear of injustice in the dispensation of justice and the rule of law depended on who was in charge and ready to do the right thing.

“Even if you conduct local government election, so far as you are able to get the right people whether national or local, it will work,” he said.

He said that there was too much concentration of power at the centre with the Federal Government controlling 56 per cent of the nation’s resources while other tiers of governments shared the remaining 44 per cent.

“ Look at the Police. If you go to any state, any vehicle you see them riding is from the states. What is the Federal Government doing with its money in terms of security.

“No mobility, no communication, no good welfare package for the police and you still want them to perform.